WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF VIRTUAL TEAMS?
Virtual teams comprise individuals from different geographical locations, time zones, and/or organizations. In industry, virtual team members typically perform different functions (marketing, engineering, sales, research, etc.) but have complementary skills and interdependent objectives. Virtual team members may also be spread across the globe and from diverse cultures. They communicate with one another remotely and work together using collaborative technology, and particularly collaborative software. Teamwork in a virtual work environment poses many challenges stemming from lack of face-to-face interactions among team members, time-zone differences that make it difficult to connect during normal work hours, and institutionally and culturally based differences in team members’ work habits and interpersonal styles.

WHY DO WE NEED A DCL?
The Oregon State University College of Engineering (OSU COE) is committed to preparing work-ready graduates—that is, students who have the skills to make immediate contributions. In today’s professional landscape, “work-ready” means not only being technically capable but also having the interpersonal and communication skills that ensure success in team-oriented workplaces, which often include virtual workplaces. While collaborative software is used in the business world, such tools are not yet widely available, much less used in engineering programs. A Distributed Collaboration Lab (DCL) has been created to provide a mechanism for students within MIME and CoE to develop the skills they need to be successful collaborators in a virtual (and often global) world.

ABOUT THE FACILITY AND EQUIPMENT. The DCL was set up to resemble an industrial conference room, with flexible furniture (tables/chairs), a data projector, whiteboard, telephone line(s), access to electrical power, and wireless access to the OSU network. This lab, located Covell Hall 006 has been outfitted with the necessary software (instant messaging, net meeting, web access, and standard MS office tools) and hardware (web cameras, telephone line, data projector, and polycom) to support the operation of virtual teams on a 24 hour by 7 day a week basis. Training materials for both the software and hardware has also been created, so that students using the lab are able to use all of the available resources.